John Fuller, Ed.D.

This past week’s events have demonstrated just how much our America’s diversity is melting down. Charlottesville police were told in no uncertain terms by their mayor ordering the police to stand down during much of the violence that was occurring. In comparison to the Boston protests yesterday, the shameful actions by both the Mayor and the Governor demonstrated just how weak they are as leaders.

They mirrored the former Baltimore mayor when people were protesting Freddie Gray’s death and police treatment that ended up in rioting and looting when she stated just let them go at it for a while. Just as the ACLU stated, the racists do have a right to protest; free speech according to the Supreme Court and the Constitution allows for speech that can upset people. That is why it is called free speech. We cannot allow only those who espouse beliefs that we feel comfortable with to have the right of free speech. Simply creating and staying in our own protective bubble does not allow for understanding a chance for dialogue. There are values that I retain and they cannot be compromised but I must allow others whom I vehemently disagree with to be able to enjoy the same free speech as I have. Otherwise it is censorship and we just do not want to go down that road.

There are groups that are purely bad in their intentions on both sides. Anyone who has intellectual honesty will agree. Even if Antifa is not as bad as the KKK, who cares? Since when is being less bad than the Klan a major moral accomplishment? All of this new found sanctimonious frenzy about toppling down Confederate statues is just that. Where were these same people all along? Now is not the time to tear down but to build up and one way we can is that we must allow statues to be always in our line of sight so we will remember our history in its proper context.

It takes honor and courage to retain your own personal integrity. Unfortunately there are those who choose to abandon integrity and instead choose vicious personal and physical attacks against each other. This accomplishes nothing except for others wanting to join these groups’ numbers. What great advertising the media has provided for Antifa, KKK, altRight, Progressives, et al and to allow Progressives like Pelosi and Sanders to relish in this carnage and offer only insults to our President. Never fear, they have zero solutions to offer.